Charles guudyear



ll Mao Starts CHARLES GUUDYEAR, 0% NEW YURK, N.Y.

IMPRQVEMENI' IN EMMA-RUBBER FABRlCfi.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,633, dated June 15,1844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES GOODYEAR, of the city of New York, in theState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inthe Manner of Preparing Fabrics of Caoutchouc or India-Rubber; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof.

My principal improvement consists in the combining of sulphur and whitelead with the indie-rubber, and in the submitting of the compound thusformed to the action of heat at a regulated temperature, by whichcombination and exposure to heat it will be so far altered in itsqualities as not to become softened by the action of the solar ray or ofartificial heat at a temperature below that to which it was submitted inits preparationsay to a heat of 270 of Fahrenheits scale-nor will it beinjuriously afiected by exposure to cold. It will also resist the actionof the expressed oils, and that likewise of spirits of turpentine, or ofthe other essential oils at common temperatures, which oils are itsusual solvents.

The articles which I combine with the indiarubber in forming my improvedfabric are sulphur and white lead, which materials may be employed invarying proportions; but that which I have found to answer best, and towhich it is desirable to approximate in forming the compound, is thefollowing: I take twenty-five parts of india-rubber, five parts ofsulphur, and seven parts of white lead. The india-rubber I usuallydissolve in spirits of turpentine or other essential oil, and the whitelead and sulphur also I grind in spirits of turpentine in the ordinaryway of grinding paint. These three articles thus prepared ma when it isintended to form a sheet by itse f, be evenly spread upon any smoothsurface or upon glazed cloth, from which it may be readily separated;but I prefer to use for this purpose the cloth made according to thepresent specification, as the compound spread upon this articleseparates therefrom more cleanly than from any other.

Instead of dissolving the india-rubber in'the manner above set forth,the sulphur and white lead, prepared by grinding as above directed, maybe incorporated with the substance of the india-rubber by the aid ofheated cylinders or calender-rollers, by which it may be brought intosheets of any required thickness; or it may be applied so as to adhereto the surface of cloth or of leather of various kinds. This mode ofproducing and of applying the sheet caoutchouc by means of rollers iswell known to manufacturers. To destroy the odor of the sulphur infabrics thus prepared, I wash the surface with a solution of potash, orwith vinegar, or with a small portion of essential oil or other solventof sulphur.

When the india-rubber is spread upon the firmer kinds of cloth or ofleather it is subject to peel therefrom by a moderate degree of force,the gum letting go the fiber by which the two are held together. I havetherefore devised another improvement in this manufacture by which thistendenc is in a great measure corrected, and by whio also, thesheet-gum, when not attached to cloth or leather, is better adapted to avariety of purposes than when not prepared by this improved mode, whichis as follows: After laying a coat of the gum, compounded as above setforth, on any suitable fabric I cover it with a bat of cotton-wool as itis delivered from the doffer of a carding-machine, and this bat I coverwith another coat of the guma process which may be repeated two or threetimes, according to the required thickness of the goods. A very thin andstrong fabric may be thus produced, which may be used in lieu of paperfor the covering of boxes, books, or other articles.

When this compound of india-rubber, sulphur, and white lead, whether tobe used alone in the state of sheets or applied to the surface of any.other fabric has been fully dried, either in a heated room or byexposure to the sun and air, the goods are to be subjected to the actionof a high degree of temperature, which will admit of considerablevariationsay from 212 to 350 of Fahrenheits thermometer, but for thebest effect approaching as nearl as may be to 27 0. This heating may bee ected by running the fabrics over a heated cylinder; but I prefer toexpose them to an atmosphere of the proper temperature, which may bebest done by the aid of an oven properly constructed with openingsthrough which the sheet or web may be passed by means of suitablerollers. When this process is performed upon a fabric consisting of theabove-named compound it must be allowed to remain upon the cloth onwhich it is made, in order to sustain it, as it is so far softenedduring the operation as not to be capable of supporting its own weightWithout such aid. If the exposure be to a temperature exceeding 270, itmust continue for a very brief period.

Having thus fully described the nature of the process by which I preparemy improved india-rubber fabric, I do hereby declare that I do not nowclaim the combining of sulphur with caoutchouc, either in the proportionnamed or in any other, this combination having been the subject of apatent granted to me on the 24th of February, 1839; but

I do claim 1. The combining of the said gum with sulphur and with whitelead, so as to form a triple compound, either in the proportions hereinnamed or in any other within such limits as will produce a like result;and I will here remark that although I have obtained the best resultsfrom the carbonate of lead, other salts of lead or the oxides of thatmetal may be substituted therefor, and will produce a good effect. Itherefore under this head claim the employment of either of the oxidesor salts of lead in the place of the white lead in the abovenamedcompound.

2. The formation of a fabric of the indiarubher by interposing layers ofcotton-batting between those of the gum, in the manner and for thepurpose above described.

3. In combination with the foregoing, the process of exposing theindia-rubber fabric to the action of a hi h degree of heat, such as isherein specified, %y means of which my improved compound is etfectuallychanged in its properties so as to protect it from decomposition ordeterioration by the action of those agents which have heretofore beenfound to produce that effect upon india-rubbergoods.

CHARLES GOODYEAR.

Witnesses:

THOS. P. JONES, B. R. MOBSELL.

